Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-05-05
A FLY BY NIGHT"
EXPERIENCE OF A CASH GIRL WHO
BECAME AN ACTRESS.
Why She Wished to Leave the Counter
and Go on the Boards - Her Descrip-
tiOn of the Horrors of "The Road"
Selling Bargains Again."

Especial Correspondence
New YORK, April lS.-In a fashionable
dry goods store, in charge of bargain
counter" heaped up and overlooking with
rich articles, | was surprised the other day TO
find young girl whom had seen grow from
childhood to womanhood in that very same
store She had begun her business career at
the age of 10, and by the time she was II was
skillful and handsome enough to be promoted
to a regular place behind the counter as
"saleslady"
After she had served in this capacity for
some months I missed her from her usual
place and asked the saleslady next her what
had become of Lydia" Was she i'll:
"Oh, no." was the reply, with toss of the
head "only too stuck up to stick to this busi
ness. She wanted bigger place to show off
her good looks and so she's gone on the
stage"
On the stage!
Finding her again at her old counter III
Sixth avenue asked if she would tell me her
experience on the stage, which she consented
to do upon the condition that no clew to her
identity should be given.
Because, . she said, II should lose my sit
uation if it got out that have been on the
stage, for not one of these fine ladies would
buy thing of an ex-actress."
One evening she told me her story.
"rve lost five years of my life" she began.
"It came about in this way. Just as had
been promoted to the counter father had a
paralytic stroke, which threw his support en-
tirely upon me. While 1 was racking my
brains to find some means of adding to the
7 of tha / a Oi | knew
who had been a cash. but had become an
actress"
"Do 'cashes' and salesladies often take to
the stage!" inquired
eyes, indeed. You see they have all to be
smart, handsome and snowy girls-must i'll
fact possess the very same physical attrac-
tions whereby actresses catch the eye of
audiences. Indeed, l may say even more
that while there are plenty Of really ugly
women on the stage, there are none behind
the counters of New York stores. And our
charms must be genuine to stand close inspec-
tion. Did you ever see a shop girls COM
plexion made up? You never did. 1t would
not be allowed, and SO the privilege is left
exclusively to ladies on the other side of the
counter.
"There are plenty of people to whisper how
when my friend got me position in travel
ing company felt as if 1 had fallen into a
fortune-for S25 a week and railroad fares
paid did seem like windfall to the girl who
had been getting only $3.50 week and find
ing herself-and, as in my case, with
father to support into the bargain.
Il sacrificed my small certainty in order to
become member of the company my friend
in ont
that it was a fly by night affair. That
term comes from the witches in Macbeth,
and is employed to designate theatrical ven
lures undertaken without sufficient capital.
Failing to make money on the road the actors
are obliged to lower their trunks from the
window, take French leave of the landlord
and fly by night to the next town, or
stand as it is technically termed.
"Having no friends nor influence in the pro-
fession, and, worse still, no money, l was
never able to get into good company with
reliable manager.
"In such shows as have been connected
with the 'fakir'-another bit of theatrical
slang, meaning a miserably poor wandering
fellow, like the fakirs of India-regards his
trunks more as a means OF transportation
than as containing the tools of his trade, for
always send an actor home on his trunk,
holding it as security for the payment OF his
fare at some time or other. 1t is a singular
fact that no matter where the real home Oh
the fakir NAV be-and actors homes are
sprinkled all over the United States-the per-
former invariably stipulates that wherever
the company may disband he shall be sent
back to the metropolis. The reason IS that
New York is the great head center where
theatrical engagements are made and where
there are always chances OF the unemployed
getting job.
an no other business is the capitalist re-
ouired to have so little capital as III the theat-
rical. Printing he can get ON credit. de Is,
in fact, only required to have cash enough to
purchase railroad tickets to get his company
out of town. That accomplished he can leave
them when and where he pleases-the con-
tract invariably giving the manager the right
to disband his company or to dismiss an enl-
ploye at weeks notice. NO matter how
often the poor actor may have lost his salary
and have had his trunk retained for board
or railroad fare, he never sues manager OF
this class for payment OF salary, because II
would be foolish to throw good money after
bad No matter how often they may have
been cruelty tricked out OF their salaries,
actors. as rule, are ever ready to take the
chances that the capitalist or hacker of the
concern is tile Croesus he represents himself
TO be. The childlike credulity of actors III
this regard always reminds me of what a sec
ond marriage is said to be-the triumph OF
| hope over experience.
aBut. to come to my individual case. After
a few preliminary rehearsals in New York,
our trunks we're called for by that member
of the company whose chief duty it is to col
lect the baggage prior to leaving stand and
to distribute it upon arrival at another. For
| each actor and actress one trunk is deposited
at the theatre, in the dressing room, and
another is sent to the hotel; so that, giving
two trunks to each person, the baggage of
even small company aggregates quite a
number of trunks, which by this arrange
ment are placed at the disposal of the manager,
| who can, and frequently does, pledge them
to get the company from place to place
"This is called travelling on their trunks.
1t is. at least. better than travelling on their
uppers'
aWell. behold us assembled at the depotl
| TO one with half an eye can mistake theat-
rical company on their first start out.
"They are all neat and trim, all in light
marching order and in high spirits. Like
new born babes their troubles are all before
them. The invariable good spirits OF the
actor are a wonderment to people whose
spirits vary with the fluctuations of fortune.
| 1t is purely matter of temperament. Only
lioht hearted. with a heart for